Reduction in breath testing

[Mick F]

Chatting in the pub yesterday afternoon about risking drink-driving, and it was agreed by the (few) customers there, that locally it's worth the risk as we never see a policeman these days. Not even a police station here any more. Providing you're not going far, and not actually drunk, there's no problem in having a couple or three pints. The risk of being caught is close to zero.

We had a police station in Gunnislake and one in St Annes Chapel up the road up until twenty years ago. The main one in Callington closed a couple of years ago and before that it was only manned in weekday day-times, so the nearest are Launceston (15miles) and Plymouth (18miles).

We knew a chap - ex RN - in Devon and Cornwall Police, who on the night shift based in Tavistock, he was the only copper. Nearest skeleton staff were Plymouth and Bodmin and Exeter. If he did an arrest, he would have to take the suspect to Plymouth for processing, and that would have left no uniformed police available in the whole of the area.

[thirdcrank]

Shrewsbury crash leaves car vertical in tree

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-s ... e-46583894

The force said the male driver failed a breath test and was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

One example among countless others, only made newsworthy by the car being stuck up a tree, although the driver was breath tested in this case..

More generally, I don't understand the apparent lack of interest on here in the evidence of the collapse of traffic law enforcement. Excess blood/alcohol is known to be related to a lot of bad driving. It's detectable and so amenable to action.

[Mick F]

The only time you see any traffic enforcement police is on major trunk roads and motorways these days .......... or at least that's what I see.

If there's a reduction in breath-testing, it must mean there are fewer cars being pulled over because there are fewer police officers.
The number of cars on the road has doubled, and the number of police officers to police the roads has halved.

[thirdcrank]

FWIW, motorway police have been largely replaced by "traffic officers" who are employees of Highways England, and are not police in the usual meaning of the word. Law-abiding people may not know the difference but the rest do.

[Barks]

The force said the male driver failed a breath test and was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

is that all he was arrested for? To be able to get a car into that position he must have at least been driving dangerously probably plus excessive speed and probably a host of others of which a few ml over the limit should be the least of his ‘crimes’.

[reohn2]

The force said the male driver failed a breath test and was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

is that all he was arrested for? To be able to get a car into that position he must have at least been driving dangerously probably plus excessive speed and probably a host of others of which a few ml over the limit should be the least of his ‘crimes’.

But the D&D will get him off the road for at least 12months,the insurance I dare say won't pay up so that'll cost him and arm and a leg and his insurance premium will skyrocket next time it's due.
The cat can be skinned in more ways than one ,though I take your point

[RickH]

FWIW, motorway police have been largely replaced by "traffic officers" who are employees of Highways England, and are not police in the usual meaning of the word. Law-abiding people may not know the difference but the rest do.

I've never been sure what sort of authority (if any) the motorway "traffic officers" have.

[thirdcrank]

... I've never been sure what sort of authority (if any) the motorway "traffic officers" have.

Directing traffic, using a broad interpretaion of the term.
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisat ... r-services

Of course, they share the power of arrest everybody has in specific circumstances, but the main point in this context is that they cannot administer breath tests or investigate offences.